Washing machine



Feb. 23 1926. 1,574,630

F. A. VHART WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 AT'VDWNEY Feb. 23 ,1926. l 1,574,630

F. A. HART WASHING MACHINE File n- 20, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTDFPNEY.

Feb. 23 1926.-

1,574,630 F. A. HART wAsHiNe MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 71921 4 sheets 5heet 3 Feb. 23 1926.

'F.'A. HART WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1921 4 s t s t 4 Patented Feb. 23, i926. I

iiFlQE.

F PATENT FREDERICK A. HART, 03 NET? BRITAIN, CONN ECTICTTT.

"WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed January 20, 1921. Serial No. 438,782.

citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented new and Improved \Vashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to the class of machines employed for washing fabrics, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a machine of this class that shall be extremely simple in construction and particularly eflicient in operation.

One form of machine embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my improved washing machine.

Figure 2 is a View partially in vertical central section through the machine from a point located at right angles to the point of view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in central vertical section through the main driving mechanism gear case, showing mechanism therein comprising the driving unit.

Figure 4 is a detail end view, scale enlarged, of the driving mechanism gear case.

Figure 5 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in 'vertical central section through the wringer driving mechanism gear-case showing mechanism. therein comprising the wringer driving unit.

Figure 6 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in elevation of the wringer driving mechanism gear case from a point located at right angles to the point of view of Figure 5 but with the wringer frame removed.

Figure 7 is a detail view, scale enlarged, in horizontal section through the wringer driving mechanism gear case on a plane passing through the axis of the lower roll shaft. V V

Figure 8 is a detail View, scale enlarged, illustrating the means for holding the wringer driving gears in disconnected positions. 7

My improved washer comprises a frame of any suitable construction and that embodies corner posts and cross bars connecting the corner posts and arranged in such locations as may be desired to properly support theframe as a whole, said cross bars and posts being formed of angle iron as is common to structures of this class. A base 10 of a driving mechanism case is supported on side bars connecting the corner posts near the bottom of the frame and atone corner thereof, said base having posts 11, herein shown as of angular form, rising from one edge. This base 10, as shown herein, is of cast metal, and, a motor base 12, herein shown as of wood, rests at one end upon. the posts 11 and at the other end upon a cross bar extending between the posts of the frame. A motor 13 is secured to the base 12 and is connected with a worm shaft 14 of a driving mechanism by} a limited yielding friction clutch that comprises a driving permits a yielding movement to a. limited de ree of the motor with respect to the mechanism driven thereby. It will be noted that'thisconnection is such, by reason of the driving band interwoven with fingers, that a universal joint is provided whereby themotor shaft need not be in accurate alignment with the shaft of the mechanism driven by it. This is of great importance, especially in connection with the construc tion. of machines of this class, as it does not require nicety and great care in the proportioning and finishing of different parts to insure that the shafts of the motors and of the mechanisms to be driven thereby shall be in accurate alignment when the parts are assembled. The band interwoven with the clutch fingers permits a limited yielding movement of the motor shaft with respect to the mechanism driven thereby, in that the motor, within restricted limits, may move faster than the driven mechanism, while the friction clutch provides what may be termed an unlimited yielding movement, in that the movement of the motor at a rate faster or slower than the driven mechanism is unlimited so long as the conditions occasioning such movement exist. The connection, there tore, possesses at least three important features, to wit: that permitting the connecting shafts to be out of alignment; that permitting the motor shaft to travel within restricted limits faster than the driving mechanism; and that permitting the motor shaft to turn to an unlimited extent faster than the driven shaft, so long as the conditions ociasioning such movements continue. T he connection, therefore, prevents any force from being suddenly communicated to the motor and any load too great from being put upon the motor as would otherwise be liable to be the case in the ope 'ation of washing machines.

A driving unit supported upon the base 10, as in a recess in the upper surface thereof, this unit comprising a driving mechanism case composed of a worm housing 22, a worm wheel housing 23 and. a main housing 24, all formed as one integral. shell and as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A worm 25 on the worm shaft meshes with a worm wheel 26 secured to a crank shaft 27 of the driving mechanism, said shaft extending through the housing and having a pitman or connecting rod 28 secured to a crank at its outer end. A cap 29 closes one end of the worm wheel housing and the shaft 27 is supported near one end in a bearing fitting the interior of the main housing and. at the opposite end in a bearing 31 extending through an end opening in the housing and having a flange that closes said opening. A bevel gear secured to the shaft 27 meshes with a bevel gear 32 having a. hub 33 extending through a bearing bushing 3st securedwithin an opening through a wall of the housing 24, as shown in 3 of the drawings.

The connecting rod or pitman 28 is pivotally connected at its end opposite the crank with a rocker arm 23:) secured to the end of a rock shaft 86 mounted in a bearing in a bearing bracket 37 having cross arms secured at its opposite ends to an upper cross bar 38 supported at its ends on brackets 39 secured to corner posts of the frame, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The inner end of the shaft 36 is formed as a socket hub 4-0 having a socket to receive the end of a supporting bar d1, said end, as shown herein, being in the form of a head with its edge formed more or less on the arc of a circle to correspond with the circular shape of the wall of the socket in the hub 40 so that the bar d1 may be tipped to disengage its end from the socket for the purpose of removing the washer frame of which :this bar is a part. The head 42 has a lug 43 engaging a notch in the socket hub elO to .eflect simultaneous rotating movement of the hub and head The bar 4-]. constitutes part of a washer frame that comprises cross bars are secured at their centers near opposite ends oi the bar 41 and having cup shaped pounders -15 suspended from their outer ends. These pounders or plungcrs may be variouslv arranged, as may be desired, a very satisfactory construction comprising plungers of elongated shape and each of whichv is supported at its opposite ends by cross bars ail, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The end of the bar 4-1 opposite'the head 12 has a locking sleeve 1-6 slidably mounted on the bar and held thereon as by means of a screw extending through a slot in the sleeve, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The end or the sleeve engages a locking lug i'T projecting from a cross bar 48 of the frame, said sleeve being spring pressed into engage ment with said lug. By sliding the sleeve against the pressure of the spring its end may be disengaged from the lug and the washer frame may be tipped up as to this end and released, the head 42 in this tipping movement turning in the socket hub 40, and the frame may thus be readily removed from the tank 49 that is supported on the frame, resting at its bottomon cross bars extending across the frame of the machine. This tank has a cover 50 arranged in any suitable manner to close the opening into the tank at its upper end, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It is of importance, under some conditions, that the space between the lower edges of the plungers and the bottom of the tank 49 shall be increased, and for such purpose I provide a second bearing, as in a hub 77, projecting from the bracket 37 at a little distance above the bearing in which the rock shaft 36 is shown as mounted in Figure 2 of the'jdra-wings, and I mount a second rock shaft- 78 in this second bearing with a socket head 7 9 at its end a duplicate of the socket head 40 hereinbefore described, and at the opposite side of said tank I duplicate the bearing for the bar 41, and as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. As a means for operating this second rock shaft 78 a toothed segment 80' thereon is provided to mesh with a toothed segment 81 on the hub of the arm 35, which arm will act to operate the washer frame in whichever socket the bar 4E1. may be supported. I

A collar secured to the hub projection 33 retains it in place in the bushing 34, and the end of said projection is formed to removably receive a socket piece 51, the connection between the socket piece and the projection, however, being such as to effect rotation one by the other, as shown herein the squared end of the projection fitting a socket of similar shape in the piece 51. A. wringer connecting shaft 52 to which the socket piece 51 is secured projects upwardly and has a connection similar to that just de scribed, with a wringer driving shaft 53 part its rotation thereto.

supporting a socket piece 5st within which the shaft 52 is removably secured to im- The shaft 53 is suitably mounted in hearings in a wringer driving mechanism housing 55, said shaft extending through said housing and being supported at its upper end in a bearing and )ortin bracket 57 secured to the frame of the machine and having a socket 58 to receive a bearing pro ection 59 from the lower end of the housing 55, said pro ection having a shoulder 60 resting upon the upper edge of the bracket 57. The lower end of the projection is formed with teeth comprising a wringer bracket adjusting pinion 61 meshing with a wringer bracket adjusting worm 62 rotatably mounted in the bracket 57 and having a handle 63 by means of which the wringer frame, to be hereinafter described, may be adjusted as to its position. This bracket 57 and the parts supported thereby constitute a wringer adjusting unit complete in itself and that may be removed intact from the machine frame.

It is essential that the wringer frame may be moved into different positions, as by a swinging movement on a vertical axis but if not locked against such swinging movement the driving torque on the shaft 53 would cause said frame to be swung on its pivot. It is my purpose to permit the wringer frame to be freely swung at any time without the necessity of unlocking any parts, and to this end I have provided the handle and the worm and the worm wheel pinion connection hereinabove described whereby the worm acts as a lock to prevent turning movement of the wringer frame but permits it to be freely moved at any time without other action than merely turning the handle 63.

I have also provided means whereby the rolls of the wringer may be driven in either direction without reversing the direction of movement of the connecting shaft 52, and this I accomplish by means of wringer driving mechanism located within the housing and comprising a rack sleeve 64 having teeth on one side engaging the teeth of a gear shifting pinion 65 having its shaft projecting outside of the housing to receive a gear shifting handle 66. Bevel gears 6768 are secured to the shaft 53 at opposite ends of the sleeve 64, this sleeve being loosely mounted on said shaft and nested between said gears, whereby the gears and the shaft 53 are shiftably mounted, the latter moving in its bearings at opposite ends of the housing 55, and as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. The gears 6768 are formed to engage a bevel gear 69 secured to the shaft of one of the wringer rolls 70,

said rolls being geared together in a manner common to devices of this class and for which reason a detailed showing thereof is omitted herein. A retaining disc 71 is secured to the shaft 72 of the pinion 65,

this disc having notches for engagement with a detent 73 projecting from a plunger 7 at spring seated in a socket in a wall of the housing 55, shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. A retaining holding spring 75 is attached at one end to the retaining disc 71, and at its opposite end to the housing the points of attachment of said spring and the axis of said disc being in line when the disc is in its intermediate position, and as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. The disc has three notches for engagement by the detent 73, said detent and the notches being so formed that the detent may be disengaged by such force as may be readily manually applied to the handle 66, and the disposition of the spring 75 as described, is such as to exert a force to retain the detent in the center notch when the gears are in a neutral position, and as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. It will also be seen that the spring exerts a force to hold the sleeve 64 at either limit of its play, and thereby retain the gears 67 and 68 in mesh with the gear 69 when either one of the former may have been moved into engagement therewith. The wringer rolls are suitably mounted in a wringer frame 76 that is secured at one end to the housing 55 in any suitable manner.

As a means for positioning the gears 67 68 so that they will properly mesh with the gear 69 I provide stop shoulders 82 on the rack sleeve 64, said shoulders being located on opposite sides of the hub 83 of the gear 69. said shoulders, when in contact with said hub, properly positioning the intermeshing gears so that there will be no binding action between them.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that my improved machine embodies. a structure in which the motor is connected with the driving mechanism with a yielding frictional clutch; that the driving mechanism is contained in a single unit that may be placed or removed in its entirety; that the connecting shaft for the wringer driving mechanism is loosely secured in place; that the wringer driving mechanism is also comprised in a single unit that may be readily lifted from its position and removed; that the wringer adjusting mechanism is also comprised in a single unit; and that the washer frame may be readily removed thereby permitting the wringer to be operated Without operation of the Washer mechanism, and this without the employment of clutches or other mechanism to effect such results. 7

As a convenient arrangement for 'inclosing the retaining mechanism for the gear shifting members, I locate the retaining disc 71 spring 75 and associated parts in a pocket 84: in the side of the housing 55, this pocket being closed by a cap 85, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8 of the drawings.

I claim 1. A frame, a washing receptacle mounted in the frame, a rock shaft extending into the washing receptacle, a washer frame including a bar, said shaft and bar having their ends formed with a socket on one part to receive and retain the adjacent end of the other part while permitting removal thereof by a tipping movement of said bar, means for securing the bar and rock shaft together for rocking movement and against relative lateral movement, and means for removably securing the opposite end of said bar against laterall movement-and within the washing receptacle.

2. A frame, a Washing receptacle mounted in the frame, a rock shaft extending into the washing receptacle and having a socket therein, a washer frame including a bar with one end removably located in said socket but secured to rock therewith, a stud at the 0pposite end of said bar, a sleeve movable longitudinally of said bar and stud to permit alignment thereof, said sleeve being mounted on one part and adapted to receive the other part, and means for holding said sleeve in engagement with both parts.

FREDERICK A. HART. 

